Florida was was under Spanish rule during the War of 1812. Records are available, however, for War of 1812 soldiers that later settled in Florida.

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*[http://www.fold3.com/title_761/war_of_1812_pension_files War of 1812 pension records] (fold3) ($) are being digitized. Some soldiers that settled in Florida after the War are listed in the records. Currently the records are only 2% complete.

Many military records can be found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United States research information provides more information about the federal records. For Florida, the following sources are also very helpful:

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

The 1835 Pension Roll

On June 5, 1834, the U.S. Senate required the Secretary of War to submit a statement showing the names of pensioners who were on the pension rolls or had previously been on the pension rolls. For more information on the 1835 Pension Roll see Revolutionary War Pension Records. The 1835 Pension Roll for the Territory of Florida is available online:

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

Florida was was under Spanish rule during the War of 1812. Records are available, however, for War of 1812 soldiers that later settled in Florida.

War of 1812 pension records (fold3) ($) are being digitized. Some soldiers that settled in Florida after the War are listed in the records. Currently the records are only 2% complete.

Indian Wars (1815-1858)

An index to compiled military service records for Indian Wars and disturbances from 1815 to 1858 is at the Family History Library (Family History Library microfilms 882753-94). The index includes soldiers who served in the Seminole and Florida Wars, 1817 to 1818 and 1835 to 1842. The compiled military service records for the Florida War, 1835 to 1858, are also available (beginning on Family History Library microfilm 1303446).

The library also has an index to Indian Wars pension files, 1892 to 1926 (Family History Library microfilms 821610-21). The index includes those soldiers who served between 1817 and 1898. The actual pension files have not been filmed and are only at the National Archives.

Civil War (1861-1865)

See Florida in the Civil War for information about Florida Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Florida regiments involved in the Civil War. The regimental articles often include lists of the companies with links to the counties where the companies started. Men in the companies often lived in the counties where the companies were raised. Knowing a county can help when researching the families of the soldiers.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System allows name searching for soldiers. The result set gives the regiment for the soldiers. Then you can check the regiment page to determine counties. Often knowing the counties that had men in a regiment will help you determine if a soldier was your ancestor.

Spanish-American War (1898)

The compiled military service records of volunteer soldiers who served in the Florida Infantry are at the National Archives and the Family History Library (Family History Library microfilms 1314126-38). Published rosters are found in Soldiers of Florida in the Seminole Indian Civil and Spanish-American Wars (Live Oak, Florida: Democrat Book and Job Print, 1909; Family History Library book 975.9 M2s; also on microfilm 988193).

World War I (1917-1918)

World War I draft registration cards for men ages 18 to 45 may list address, birth date, birthplace, race, nationality, citizenship, and next of kin. Not all registrants served in the war. For registration cards for Florida see:

United States. Selective Service System. Florida, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On Family History Library microfilms beginning with film 1556849.)

To find an individual's draft card, it helps to know his name and residence at the time of registration. The cards are arranged alphabetically by county, within the county by draft board, and then alphabetically by surname within each draft board.

Most counties had only one board; large cities had several. A map showing the boundaries of individual draft boards is available for most large cities. Finding an ancestor's street address in a city directory will help you in using the draft board map. There is an alphabetical list of cities that are on the map. For a copy of this map see:

United States. Selective Service System. List of World War One Draft Board Maps. Washington, DC: National Archives. (Family History Library microfilm 1498803.)